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In our previous Magic Story recap, we took a look at how Ixalan’s themes of discovery and exploration helped develop Vraska from a young, unjustly imprisoned convict to a confident pirate captain. This week, we’ll examine at how these same themes propel Ixalan’s native Planeswalker, Huatli, into a place of introspection and character growth. Huatli’s search for the Immortal Sun …

While Ixalan seems a lot like someone’s ultimate fantasy showdown (“Pirates vs Vampires vs Dinosaurs…also Merfolk!”), the story’s characters and plot have been thoughtfully grounded in reality. While the larger story is centered around the tribes’ search to find and claim Orazca, the Golden City, the main characters of Ixalan have each gone through a process of personal discovery, change …

Since his first appearance, Jace Beleren has become the nearest thing to a mascot for Magic: The Gathering, meant to represent the average player in all his geeky, cerebral glory. With his signature hooded blue cloak and mental magic, Jace has shown himself to be a character driven by curiosity and the need for knowledge, both traits that have led …

This week’s Banned & Restricted announcement has dramatically reshaped Standard. As Rivals for Ixalan arrives, four widely played cards will be leaving the format. The removal of Attune with Aether and Rogue Refiner from the Energy lists was not surprising, but the two bans targeting Mono-Red were considerably more unexpected. Both Ramunap Ruins and Rampaging Ferocidon (RIP, my clever girl) gave …

Since the release of Ixalan last fall, Admiral Beckett Brass and her Dire Fleet have been fulfilling their most dire needs in Commander: pillaging, plundering, and getting tons of Treasure. While pirate decks have been out in full force these past few months, I’ve been much more interested in the unsung story of Revel in Riches and how it combos …

Merfolk was the first Modern deck I ever built, and as such it will always have a special place in my heart. Until Humans busted onto the scene, it was one of the few competitive Modern tribal decks, and dedicated Merfolk players have honed their Islandwalking strategies like sharpened knives. As a lover of aggressive decks and synergy, seeing Merfolk …